


After the Free Skate

by Arisprite



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Can you tell I love Minako?, Canon Compliant, Episode 7, M/M, Slight discussion of feelings, Yuri is a sleepy honey, hurt!Victor, mostly just schmoops, post ep, tiny bit, uncreative title
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-31 12:37:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8578819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arisprite/pseuds/Arisprite
Summary: After everything that had happened, Yuri's exhaustion is catching up to him. Victor's arm is warm around his shoulders.





	

**Author's Note:**

> That. Episode. 
> 
> Oh my gosh I just had to write a completely indulgent post ep, with added hurt/comfort, because why not. I just kept thinking about Victor and Yuri falling like that on the ice, and how Victor so carefully protects Yuri's head... and this happened. 
> 
> *tosses it on the pile* 
> 
> More notes that the end, regarding anyone who read my other thing...

After the whirlwind of the performance, the scoring, the award ceremony, the press and interviews (and the memory of what had happened) Yuri’s exhaustion from the sleepless night, anxiety and adrenalin began to weigh him down. He was fighting yawns by the time it was finally just to the two of them, and they were standing on the sidewalk of the skating arena waiting for a cab back to their hotel. Victor had his arm around his shoulders, as he’d had to press him outside, and now he kept it there. It was warm, and firm and was probably the only thing keeping him upright. Victor seemed content too, smiling in the silence, facing the street with a faraway look in his eyes.

Tomorrow he’d probably think too much about what had transpired, there on the ice in front of the whole crowd and the live camera crews - and his mother, whoops. But right now, he was dozy and warm, with Victor standing a bit too close and the memory of his lips on Yuri’s. 

Of course, the moment couldn’t last. Yuri heard a whoop, far too loud, before he was being engulfed by a rough hug. Victor jumped back, startled, and Yuri coughed around long brown hair caught in his mouth. 

“Yuri! You did it! Congratulations!” it was Minako, smelling like she’d already found some alcohol, and smiling wide with tears in her eyes. Yuri, shocked back to awareness, gave a little laugh, and patted her back. 

“Uh, thanks, Minako-sensei!” he said, and Minako sniffed hard, and squeezed him again, before reaching out to punch Victor in the shoulder. He ‘oofed’ adorably. 

“Congrats to you too, Mr. Coach. I know Yuri is a hard worker, but you’ve certainly done your fair share.” 

“Thank you,” Victor said, sounding amused. “I’m sure I deserve very little credit.” Yuri pulled away enough to see his face and his eyes were sparkling. Yuri smiled back at him. 

“Well, that’s true of today,” Yuri said, tiredness breaking down his normal brain-to-mouth barriers. Victor laughed, full and surprised.

“You’re right. You had to talk me out of my own panic attack, didn’t you?” 

Yuri tilted his head, agreeing but not wanting to be rude. Too rude. “You’re new at this. But next time, I won’t let you off so easily.” 

Victor was still laughing, and then a snort from Minako - who was still standing right there… - cut off their banter. 

Minako grinned a bit evilly. “I wanted to ask about how relaxed Yuri was when he headed out on the ice, but I guess I got my answer…” She spoke in Japanese, and purposely too quick for Victor to understand much.

Yuuri’s face went red hot, and he nearly leapt out of his skin, waving his hands. 

“M-Minako-sensei!” he yelped, scandalized, and she just laughed. Victor smiled with less bemusement than usual when people spoke Japanese around him; he probably got the implications of her joke, the jerk. Yuri caught his breath, and frowned at her, before turning up his nose. 

“It’s none of your business,” he said, also in Japanese. She lifted a finger. 

“Ah! That’s not a denial,” and as she crowed, Yuri wanted to crawl inside his own shoe. Still, he wasn’t as embarrassed as he would have been… had Victor not actually kissed him. It definitely wasn’t what she was implying (not yet??) but… Yuri turned to look at Victor, who held his gaze and smiled, before speaking in English. 

“Thank you for the compliments, Minako-sensei,” he said, gracious as ever. “Yuri has certainly been outstanding today.” 

Minako smiled, still somewhat knowingly, but she pulled Yuri and Victor into a hug, squeezing tight, before letting go and grinning at them both. 

“We’re certainly seeing sides of him we’ve never seen before.” She winked. “You two have fun tonight. See you back in Japan~!” and she ran off to take the cab that pulled up, slamming the door shut without offering to share, and blowing a kiss through the side window. 

Yuri watched the cab drive off, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Ah,” he said, but Victor had gotten to know Minako well enough over the past year that he was sure he wasn’t offended. True enough, Victor was chuckling, as he let Yuri’s sports bag slid off his shoulder. There was still no sign of a cab, aside from the one Minako had stolen, and Yuri was now more aware that this was the first time they were alone since he got off the ice. Unbidden he felt that heat rise to his face again, but he didn’t mind so much. 

Contrastingly, _Victor_ looked more nervous now, with a dusting of pink across his face (and not just his nose like usual). He met Yuri’s eyes and smiled, shyly. 

“Good job today,” he started with, and it was so every-day, so normal, compared to the soaring still hidden within his chest, that Yuri started to laugh. Victor was startled, yet again, before he chuckled with him, taking his arm affectionately. “Oh, Yuri, you were wonderful.” 

Yuri, still smiling, shook his head. “I was a mess.” 

“So was I, then,” Victor decided, and Yuri couldn’t disagree. “We made it through.”

“Mm,” Yuri said, leaning a little more heavily against Victor’s side, his exhaustion returning. He felt Victor wave, and then he was jostled, as Victor picked up Yuri’s bag again. 

“You ready, my dear?” Victor murmured to him, as he guided Yuri into the cab (finally). Yuri was too tired to nod, and once he was seated in the squishy seat, he felt his body relaxing even further. He hummed instead, going limp against the opposite window, as Victor put his bag into the trunk, slid in, and told the driver where to go. Then they were driving, and somehow Yuri ended up leaning against Victor’s side again, swaying with the motions of the car, through the traffic. Yuri didn’t mind… 

~~

Yuri woke enough to walk up to their room and change out of his costume. Then he stood in the shower for a few minutes, because he was pretty sure he smelled. He came out more tired than ever, hazy and warm, and just happy, like even winning last night hadn’t made him. He’d gotten second, but he felt like he’d gained so much more. Smiling, and about ready to drop, he wandered out in his sleeping clothes to see Victor, in a tee shirt and sweats, sitting on his bed, and wincing as he pressed an ice pack to his left elbow. A rush of shock woke him, and he blinked before rushing forward. 

“Victor, what happened?!” He’d only been in the bathroom for fifteen minutes at the most. Victor jumped a little, like he’d been caught, before he smiled sheepishly. 

“Ah, Yuri,” he laughed and lowered the ice. “It’s funny actually. I hit it on the ice when we fell down,” he said. Yuri saw that his elbow only looked a little red, but had no obvious injury. Still, Yuri came to sit beside him, and peer at it. It would probably bruise, but it’s not like Victor hadn’t had worse, just in their profession. 

Still. “You should be more careful,” Yuri scolded, taking the ice from him to press it to Victor’s arm. He was remembering the feeling of Victor’s arm beneath him - he’d taken the brunt of the fall, to protect Yuri’s head, and neck from the impact. No wonder it was hurt. 

Victor nodded. “Of course, Yuri. Forgive me?” 

It felt heavier than the moment called for, and god Yuri was too tired for a true conversation, but he still nodded. “I imagine I will.” He pressed the ice at a little better angle, aware that he’d taken Victor’s arm, and was holding it across his lap. Captive, for all intents and purposes. 

“Victor,” he said, after a moment. Victor turned to look at him, and Yuri blinked back exhausted tears, feeling warm again. “Thank you. For doing as I asked.” 

Victor huffed, and they were close enough that Yuri felt it through his side. 

“Thank you for telling me what it was you needed. I obviously was not any good at figuring it out.” 

Yuri smiled. “I thought some rather mean things about you as I was skating.” 

Victor straightened, and looked at him more fully. 

“Really?” he asked, sounding honestly curious, and not at all offended. “Like what?” 

Yuri laughed and put his free hand behind his neck. “Nothing too bad. Though I think I remember calling you stupid.” Yuri was having fun, teasing Victor like this. Victor was laughing and dipped his head in admission. Yuri chuckled a little more, and then lifted his head. “I wanted to see your face when I did the quad flip. I wanted to impress you. Show you that I could rise above my anxieties, and prove to you that I could do it.” 

“You did it beautifully, Yuri.” 

Yuri turned to look at Victor, and his eyes were shining, like they’d been in that pure, quiet moment, laying there on the ice, before the screams of the crowd had registered. Yuri was caught in his gaze, in the love he could see there, and leaned in without thinking. 

He pressed his lips to Victor’s again, and this time it was slow and sweet, without the jar of landing hard. He still felt like he was falling… 

Victor kissed back, his eyes slipping shut, and his uninjured hand coming to rest on the side of Yuri’s jaw. Yuri was aware of the cold ice bag still in his hand, of the air between them, as neither of them pressed more than their lips, and the few light touches of hands, knee, and elbow together. Still, it was something amazing - like the highest high of a performance done perfectly, but even better. 

But still, Yuri hadn’t slept much in two days, and many things had happened. He broke away with a yawn, apologizing through his hand. Victor smiled, and brushed his hair back, in an affectionate gesture that was in no way unusual for him, and yet now felt like so much more. 

“Oh, Yuri. You should get some rest. We have a flight tomorrow.” 

“Mhm,” Yuri said, finally relinquishing Victor’s arm and the ice pack. “If that hurts too much tomorrow, let me know. My mother has some bruising balm…” he said, and Victor, smiling still, leaned up to press another kiss to his forehead. 

“Thank you, Yuri. What would I do without you?

Yuri didn’t really know how to answer that, not at his current limit, so he just smiled and hugged Victor hard, before getting up and heading to the other bed. He knew before he’d taken two steps that he’d get the usual complaining. 

“Oh, Yuriii,” Victor said, and Yuri could hear the pout. Yuri smiled without turning back and crawled under the covers on the second bed. 

“Good night, Victor,” he said, warmly, and Victor huffed softly before getting into his own bed, and flipping off the lamp. In the dim light, and without his glasses, Victor was a silver blur, but he still could see the hand reaching out between the beds. Yuri reached across the distance, and held Victor’s hand in return, entwining their fingers like he had… only yesterday, just before the short program. 

“Good night, Yuri,” Victor murmured into the darkness, and Yuri breathed in, and let it out, relishing the warmth of Victor’s fingers, before sleep took him.

**Author's Note:**

> So, not to toot my own horn, but I'm really happy I got Victor somewhat right??? I mean, his issue in my other story was much more dramatic and exaggerated, comparing in Cowardice, how Victor was worried about Yuri's reactions to the stress of being a scandal in his home country and worldwide, to in Episode 7 how he's worried about Yuri's ability to handle the stress of competing. 
> 
> Essentially Victor in both instances was doubting Yuri's strength, which understandably hurt Yuri badly. But, once Yuri stood up for himself, and told Victor straight out that all he needed to keep going was Victor by his side, then Victor realized he was being an idiot, and did what he could to be there for Yuri in the way that he needed him to be. 
> 
> Obviously, it's not the same, but still, there were enough similarities to Victor's choices in my fic, that I couldn't help but flail a little. Okay, I'm done, hehe.


End file.
